Has anyone seen this before?

Okay, I am new here but I cant find an answer to this oddity.
 I have grown roselle for many years in zone 8b and have always used saved seeds.   Two years ago I had 1 plant that started flowering in May.  Last year all was normal, this year...here we go again.
 If all of them started early, it would be fine although plants are too small to make very many.
Has anyone had this happen? After seed saving so long, these produce more robust calyx"s and have very high production. I usually make jelly with the calyx's.

i had exactly the opposite experience this year (9b, southern hem) and I have to say I'm jealous. My plant is over a year old, and only started budding up after our first winter cold snap. I want to pickle the buds, and I've been waiting forever. The plant is taller than me, has taken up way too much precious garden real estate over the last 14+ months, and the few buds are tiny. Your plant looks gorgeous, I hope it gets a second wave.
(PS, here the common wisdom is that it won't grow below the tropic, so maybe zone 10+. Mine is very unusual around here, although I don't think I'm going to get any pickles out of it this year. harrumph)

It is said they produce when the days start getting shorter in fall, and that has been my experience so far. Well; my days are getting longer and hotter around here, maybe I need more genetics to get more diversity in my stock.  Maybe buy some seed next year to solve the problem.